MEKANÏK DESTRUKTÏW KOMMANDÖH

Are you into massed choral vocals a la Carl Orff's Carmina Burana? And if you are, do you want to hear a whole album's worth of that kind of music? If your answer to both questions is yes, then you will definitely belong among the massed rank of Magma fans (who call themselves Kobaians) and think that Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh is an unparalled masterpiece. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this Christian Vander-led outfit boasts some very skillful musicians, I just cannot get past the dominance of the vocal style, and I am beginning to suspect that I am someone for whom the Magma (space?) ship appears to have sailed.

For those who aren't in the know, Magma blend sophisticated jazz-rock and certain modern classical techniques with the chorale vocals (sung in a made-up rather Teutonic sounding language) to create a unique, but ultimately polarizing style of music. On this album in particular the vocals are an overpowering force that detract from the occasionally outstanding music. I should say that I enjoy Magma tracks (from other albums) like Kobaia's excellent title track and Troller Tanz (from Udu Wudu) that don't have quite such a dominating vocal presence.

The songs that stand out despite inspite of the grating vocals are Kobaia Is De Hundin, the groovy, brass-laden Mekanik Kommandoh and the frightening Nebehr Gudahtt, but in other cases like Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanik, Magma's repetitive style is exceedingly tiresome.

I must say that one worrying thing about this album in particular, is that I've enjoyed it less and less each time I've returned to it. A couple of months ago, this might have been a 3 star album, but now it simply isn't. ... 44% on the MPV scale